admin's blog

You are here

admin's blog

A new study from AAA shows just how dangerous "drowsy driving" can be. Research shows that drivers who miss as little as 2-3 hours of sleep a night can quadruple their risk for a crash - numbers that are comparable to drunk drivers. If you are tired, or drowsy, do not get behind the wheel. It's simply not worth the risk.

"Drowsy Driving," or driving while fatigued, is an incredibly dangerous and, unfortunately, incredibly widespread activity. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated that an average of 83,000 accidents involving drowsy driving occurred annually between 2005 and 2009. Despite the dangers it presents, drivers often don't think twice before getting behind the wheel when tired or sleep-deprived.

The American Association of Justice (AAJ), of which we are proud members, recently published a report on concussions in sports. Part of that report includes a brief summary of state laws regarding concussions in youth sports. At the link below, you can review a chart which outlines how concussion laws vary from state to state, including Ohio and Pennsylvania. If your child is participating in youth sports, you should educate yourself as to what should happen when he or she is suspected of sustaining a concussion or other traumatic brain injury on the field.

A lawsuit has been filed after a Georgia accident which was caused by a young woman driving over 100 mph while using Snapchat on her cell phone. She collided with another vehicle and caused serious injuries to the other driver, including brain damage. The lawsuit seeks damages from not only the driver but also the makers of the Snapchat app, which the Plaintiffs argue incentivizes users to use Snapchat while driving. You can read more about the lawsuit at the link below.

Nice weather is finally here. That means that motorcycles are back on the roads in Ohio and Pennsylvania, too. If you're in a car, remember to always keep an eye out for bikes. An extra second of caution can save a life.

April is the National Safety Council's "Distracted Driving Awareness Month." As you may know, distracted driving is a growing problem on American roads. Take a minute to visit the NSC's website and learn more about what you can do about distracted driving.

According to Reuters, Google has recently requested that Congress allow for special safety regulations to help autonomous or "driverless" vehicles to get to the market more quickly. Some of the regulations at issue include those regarding steering wheels and rear-view mirrors.

Autonomous vehicles present a number of interesting questions and issues for American law. These vehicles are expected to create conflicts and concerns on a number of fronts, including, as mentioned above, safety regulations, as well as torts and insurance law.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will be issuing new Medicare cards for everyone covered by Medicare benefits. These new cards will no longer include the Medicare recipient's Social Security Number. This change is intended to protect Medicare recipients from identity theft.

Here's a brief article that does a nice job explaining the basics about Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. While we can't guarantee the accuracy of the information it includes about other states, it is true that UM/UIM coverage is not required in Ohio. Here in Ohio, you have a "choice" when it comes to whether or not to purchase UM/UIM coverage. However, there's really no choice to make - if you want to be protected, you should absolutely purchase UM/UIM coverage.